Is Sulfamethazine a controlled substance?

Sulfamethazine is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

Sulfamethazine

US brand names:Sulmet

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Sulfamethazine is dosed at 25 mg/kg PO, IM q24h x 21 days in ball pythons, per Rockwell K, Mitchell MM. Antiparasitic therapy. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1165-1170. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.232 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Antibiotic

Routes

Indications

Bacterial pneumonia Coccidia Coccidiosis Coccidiosis (printed 'coccidosis' in the source)Coccidiosis (the book prints "coccidosis", sic)foot rotfowl choleranecrotic enteritis

Mechanism of Action

Inhibits dihydropteroate synthase in bacterial folate synthesis. Used primarily in food animals and poultry for coccidiosis.

Side effects & warnings

Withdrawal times required in food animals. Crystalluria risk. Adequate water intake essential. May cause blood dyscrasias with prolonged use.

Species with Sulfamethazine dosing data (12 dose rules)

Ball Python Bearded Dragon Blue-tongue Skink Cattle (Beef/Dairy)Chicken (Poultry)Chinchilla Degu Gerbil Rabbit (Domestic)Swine (Pig)Turkey Zebra Finch

Species references:All Ball Python drugs All Bearded Dragon drugs All Blue-tongue Skink drugs

Evidence levels across 12 dose rules

Weak×4Moderate×4Strong×4

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 10 published sources

· 232. Doneley B. Formulary. In: Doneley B, eds. Avian Medicine and Surgery in Practice: Companion and Aviary Birds; Manson Publishing, London, UK; 2011:285-320. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.443 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Birds). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929
· 396. Rockwell K, Mitchell MM. Antiparasitic therapy. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1165-1170. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.232 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530

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Calculate Dosage for Sulfamethazine

· Adamcak A, Otten B. Rodent therapeutics. Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract. 2000;3:221-237. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.780 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.2 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· Beck W, Pantchev N. Praktische Parasitologie bei Heimtieren, Schluetersche Verlagsgesellschaft MBH & Co, Hannover, Germany; 2006. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.780 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.2 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Rodents). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· GillettCS. Selected drug dosages and clinical reference data. In: Manning PJ, Ringler DH, Newcomer CE, eds. The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit, 2nd ed., Academic Press, San Diego, CA; 1994:467-472. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.852 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.3 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Rabbits.a). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929

· Rockwell K, Mitchell MM. Antiparasitic therapy. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1165-1170. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.232 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.4 (Antiparasitic Agents Used in Reptiles). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery (Divers & Stahl) — ISBN 9780323482530, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323482530

· U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Animal drugs. Available at: https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/views/#/home/previewsearch. Accessed August 14, 2020. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.628 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and Waterfowl.a,b). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — 21 CFR § 520.2261b (Sulfamethazine powder), conditions of use for Chickens: 127.868-187.393 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.670. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.2261b — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9781119511755, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119511755

· U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Extralabel use and antimicrobials. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/antimicrobial-resistance/extralabel-use-and-antimicrobials. Accessed August 14, 2020. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.628 (2026-08-01). — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.1 (Antimicrobial Agents Used in Backyard Poultry, Gamebirds, and Waterfowl.a,b). The copy held is an ebook conversion with no printed page numbers, so the table — not the page — is the citable location. — 21 CFR § 520.2261b (Sulfamethazine powder), conditions of use for Turkeys: 110.231-273.373 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.670. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.2261b — SOURCE EDITION: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary — ISBN 9780323833929, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323833929; Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery — ISBN 9781119511755, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119511755

· US FDA. Sulmet (sodium sulfamethazine) Soluble Powder, NADA 122-272, Huvepharma. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=09658aaf-dd0f-462c-8a76-538be39b4689 - cattle, calves, swine, chickens, turkeys; swine 237.6 mg/kg day 1 then 118.8 mg/kg days 2-4, max 5 days; swine withdrawal 15 days. — 21 CFR § 520.2261b (Sulfamethazine powder), conditions of use for Swine: 119.05-119.05 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.670. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.2261b

· Verified against Papich/Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th Ed, p.781 (2026-08-01). — 21 CFR § 520.2261b (Sulfamethazine powder), conditions of use for Cattle: 119.05-119.05 mg/kg (the regulation prints this per pound; converted at 2.2046226 lb/kg). Related tolerances: 21 CFR § 556.670. Retrieved from the eCFR API, snapshot 2026-01-01. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-520.2261b — LOCATOR CONVENTION 2026-08-07: the bare 'p.781' in this citation is the PDF index of the held scan, not the printed page. The PRINTED page is p.753; verified by finding the drug named there. If you are holding the book, turn to p.753. — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855